Treatment - Cancer Currents Blog
Cancer treatment related news, with context from leading experts. Includes articles on new therapies, treatment side effects, and important trends in treatment-related research.
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Nilotinib Can Be Discontinued in Some Patients with Chronic Myelogenous LeukemiaOn December 22, FDA approved an update to the label of nilotinib (Tasignia) that states that some patients with CML who are taking nilotinib and whose cancer has been in remission for an extended period can safely stop taking it.
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Drug Combination Improves Outlook for Some Patients with Chronic Lymphocytic LeukemiaInterim results from an ongoing clinical trial show that patients with relapsed or refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia treated with rituximab plus venetoclax have longer progression-free survival compared with patients treated with chemotherapy.
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Unique Trial Aims to Decrease Early Deaths in Patients with Rare LeukemiaIn a unique clinical trial, a group of oncologists with experience treating acute promyelocytic leukemia are making themselves available around the clock to help clinicians at hospitals across the country treat their APL patients.
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FDA Approves Alectinib For Initial Treatment of ALK-Positive Lung CancerFDA has approved alectinib (Alecensa) as a first-line treatment option for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer that is ALK positive. Alectinib is the third ALK inhibitor to be approved in this setting.
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Fat Cells May Hinder Effectiveness of ChemotherapyResearchers have shown that fat cells can absorb two commonly used chemotherapy drugs and break them down chemically into a less toxic form, potentially reducing the drugs’ effectiveness.
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Expanding Smoking Cessation Services at NCI-Designated Cancer Centers: An Interview with Dr. Glen MorganNCI’s Dr. Glen Morgan discusses NCI’s Cancer Center Cessation Initiative, including how and why this smoking cessation initiative was developed and its long-term goals.
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Alternate Driver of Treatment-Resistant Prostate Cancer IdentifiedResearchers have identified an emerging subtype of metastatic prostate cancer that is resistant to therapies that block hormones that fuel the disease.
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Study Identifies Potential Drug Combination for Ewing SarcomaFrom experiments in cells and mice, researchers have identified a two-drug combination that kills more Ewing sarcoma cells than either drug on its own. The study findings could help inform future clinical trials.
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Liquid Biopsy: Using DNA in Blood to Detect, Track, and Treat CancerResearch studies show tests that analyze tumor DNA in blood, called liquid biopsies, may help detect cancer early, guide precision cancer treatment, and track treatment response.
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Study Tracks the Evolution of Treatment Resistance in Metastatic Breast CancerA new study suggests that the cells in treatment-resistant tumors in women with metastatic breast cancer share important characteristics that could potentially make tumors vulnerable to therapies that otherwise might not have been considered.
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Studies Identify Therapies That May Delay Melanoma Recurrence after SurgeryTwo recent clinical trials have identified treatments that may delay cancer from returning in some patients with melanoma. Patients in both trials had advanced melanoma that was surgically removed, and each trial tested different forms of post-surgical, or adjuvant, therapy.
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Extensive Lymph Node Removal Doesn't Improve Survival in Some Women with Early-Stage Breast CancerLong-term results from a large clinical trial confirm that, for some women with early-stage breast cancer who have lumpectomy as their surgical treatment, a less extensive lymph node biopsy approach is sufficient.
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Timing and Sequence Critical for Immunotherapy CombinationWhen given at the same time, two immune checkpoint inhibitors were ineffective against breast cancer growth in mice, a new study found. The combination was more effective and safer if the two inhibitors were given in a specific sequence.
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Long-Term Nerve Damage Possible after Chemotherapy for Breast CancerMany women who receive taxane-based chemotherapy to treat breast cancer experience long-term nerve damage, or peripheral neuropathy, data from a large clinical trial show.
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Forgoing Conventional Cancer Treatments for Alternative Medicine Increases Risk of DeathIn a large study, patients with nonmetastatic breast, lung, or colorectal cancer who chose alternative therapies had substantially worse survival than patients who received conventional cancer treatments.
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Crizotinib Shows Promise for Childhood CancersIn a small clinical trial, the drug crizotinib shrank tumors in children with cancers that have alterations in the ALK gene.
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Bringing the Investigational Breast Cancer Drug Endoxifen from Bench to Bedside with NCI SupportResearchers recognized the potential of endoxifen as a treatment for breast cancer and, with NCI support, developed the compound into a drug now being tested in clinical trials.
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Modified Stem Cells Deliver Chemotherapy to Metastatic TumorsResearchers have used modified stem cells to deliver a cancer drug selectively to metastatic breast cancer tumors in mice. The stem cells target metastatic tumors by homing in on the stiff environment that typically surrounds them.
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Heart Attack, Stroke Risk May Be Elevated Following Cancer DiagnosisA diagnosis of cancer can come with an increased risk of a heart attack or stroke in the months after beginning treatment, a new study suggests. Within 6 months of a diagnosis, the risk of either event was more than twice that seen in people without cancer.
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In Melanoma, Personalized Treatment Vaccines Show PromiseResults of an early-phase trial showed that a treatment vaccine personalized to a specific patient’s cancer generated a robust immune response against the cancer and may have helped to prevent it from returning.